Arcadia Scotch Ale

Brewed by Arcadia Brewing Company
Style: Scotch Ale
Battle Creek, Michigan USA

From a 12 oz. long neck brown bottle with a notched bottling date on the side of front label. A/3. Made a good appearance, poured a opaque rudy hued chocolate brown with the usual Arcadia large, billowing, pillowy pale tannish head with good retention, slowly reducing to a clingy, pillowy lacing. Had a tasty aroma, a wine purple grapeness, a little peat and whiffs of a sugary, sweet alcohol. Good carbonation, maybe too much for a Wee Heavy, and a sweet, slick medium bodied mouth feel, good drinkability. Good tasting, a sweet, dry grape fruitiness, a subtle smoky peat, a little woodiness, a slight alcoholic presence on the tongue, a little dry, roasted maltiness towards the end and a dry, semi-sour finish.

Probably the best I’ve had from Arcadia, rich with a well rounded malt taste complemented by juicy dark fruits and a nice peat smokiness. Very creamy palate, thickly filling the mouth with toffee and an alcohol warmth. The finish is fruity, malty, smokey, and quite warm with the appropriately sturdy ABV. Nicely done.

<font size=-4>From <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=1 Larder<font size=-1>

On tap at the brewpub. Lots of smoky peat in this medium brown ale, all balanced nicely by sweet malts. Finishes with a slight alcohol burn.

Bottle. Dark, almost stout dark. Rich malty aroma with a slight woody scent. Sweet and heavy, very heavy.

Very nice peaty, malty flavor follows a dark brown pour with nice thick tan head. Full body with sweet finish. Almost chewy. Surprisingly little alcohol flavor, but it sneaks up on you at the end. Currently one of my favorite beers.

Pours to a light glowing brown body with a thick creamy tan head. The aroma is earthy and peppery with light peat and roasted chestnuts. Too light for my nose. The flavor is a very sweet earthy roasted chestnut with peated malts and light leathery goodness. Smooth body and nice mouthfeel. Well done!

Arcadia Scotch Ale is brewed with imported two row malt from the UK, as well as being hopped with English Fuggles. Arcadia also uses a traditional British yeast strain, known as Ringwood in the brewing of this beer, and all their products for that matter. What does this all mean? The answer is quite simple. One hell of a good American example of Scotch Ale, or Wee Heavy. Arcadia Scotch Ale comes in at a warming 7.5% abv, and makes a perfect winter warmer to take the chill off a cold Michigan winter. Arcadia Scotch Ale pours to a beautiful, deep garnet color with a slight tan head, and a medium carbonation. The nose on this beer is fantastic with big aromas of sweet malt, peppery alcohol, and earthy aromas of Ringwood yeast. The palate is rich and full on the tongue with big flavors of sweet malt, butter scotch, a slight touch of smokey peat, and hints of treacle. Arcadia Scotch Ale finishes with sweet and toffeeish malty flavors, and then ends with just a touch of hop bitterness to balance, and a warming, soothing burn that linger. This is a wonderful American version of a classic Scottish beer style. This beer is the ultimate after dinner drink, night cap, or beer to relax with during a cold and brutal day.

Nice. The alcohol’s well-hidden and the beer is really malty. Tons of flavor. I’m pleased, though I’d like this delicious beer even more if it were a 4.5% abv Scottish Ale instead. Well done, lads.